Harry Backhouse

Co-Founding Director & Company Secretary

I’m the co-founder of Focus Training and principle farmer of Clough Bottom. I was born in Blackburn and brought up here at Clough Bottom on the family farm. After school, I studied Agricultural Engineering at Rycotewood College in Thame, Oxford and then followed this by a year's intensive study of Agriculture & Forestry at Newton Rigg College, Penrith.

Agriculture has faced many difficult and changing times and I believe in diversifying to maximise the use of resources. With this in mind, I co-founded Focus Training in 1991 with Jane after some pilot courses we ran from the house in the late 80s.

My role is behind the scenes, overseeing the finances, investment in the site, resources for the activities and policies for the whole farm. I enjoy putting my engineering skills into the development of buildings and large-scale exercises.

My values are centred around the preservation of the countryside - I have a passion for organic farming, trees, conservation and wildlife: I like to put back into the land more than I take out. My aim is for the farm and Focus Training to grow and work together symbiotically, and to support other sympathetic businesses in the future.

My other interests are growing specimen trees, restoring, modifying and tuning British bikes, building restoration, skiing and alternative remedies.